Index-tab



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE J. AIGNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INDEX-TAB.

Original application filed May 14, 1917, Serial No. 168,447.-

.Specification of Letters Patent.

1917. Serial No. 178,830.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. .AIGNER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Index-Tabs, ofwhich the followingis a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,illustrating same.

My invention relates to indexes, for use in connection with books,various kinds of letter and card files, loose leaf arrangements, etc. Itmay, however, be used in various places and adapted for variousconditions.

This application is-a division of my copending United States patentapplication Serial N 0. 168,447, filed May 14, 1917, on index tabs. Oneobject of my present invention is to provide improved index tabs asherein set forth.

Another obj eet of my present invention is to provide improved strips ofindex tabs. as herein set forth,.constructed so'that the single orindividual tabs of the strip may be readily and quickly detachedtherefrom for use.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification. In theaccompanying drawings illustrating some of the preferredforms of myinvention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a strip of index tabs of theinvention, with portions cut away to show the interior construction ofthe strip; Fig.2 is a top. end view of the strip of tabs of Fig. 1; Fig.3 is a side elevation of'a single tab taken from a strip of tabs similarto the strip shownin Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a strip ofanother form of index tabs of this invention, with portions cutaway toshowthe interior construction of the strip Fig. 5 is a top end view ofthe strip of tabs of Fig. 4,

showing the attachable ends of the tabs spread apart for moistening, tocondition them to be glued to their proper sheets for use; and Fig. 6 isa side elevation of a single tab taken from a strip of tabs similar tothe strip shown in Fig. 4.

Like characters refer to like partsin the several figures.

Index tabs in strip form have generally been made with the series oftabs in the form of a continuous strip having no incisions between thevarious characters on the strip to enable the individa ul tabs to bereadily detached from the strip for use. In

their other forms of tabs the individual tabs of a set are cut entirelyapart from each other and placed loosely in a box. In the former classof, tabs tabs from the strip for use, entirely across the strip, but insuch a strip of tabs the cutting cannot be uniformly done by hand sothat the individual tabs after being cut apart will have a uniformappearance, width, etc.; and in the latter class of tabs it is necessaryto sort out the individual tabs of a set of different characters andarrange them in their proper order before gluing them to respectivesheets for use, which consumes considerable time and is a great bother.

In my present invention I have devised an improved tab and strip of tabswhich eliminate all of the objectionable features above mentioned. Iaccomplish this result by cutting the individualtabs n, B, C, D, E, etc,of a strip of tabs, nearl T apart from each other, as shown by lines 1 1which re resent cuts inthe strips of tabs, but still leave theindividual tabs of a strip all connected together by narrow attachmentportions 2 2, preferably as shown. These attachment portions 2 2, in theforms of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, are atthe extreme front edge of the strip. With this construction theattachment portions in the folded edge of the strip and in a portion ofthe filler hold the strip of tabs stiffer and straighter than where theattachments are at other portions of the strip, due to the stiffness ofthe filler and the folded edge portion. With the attachments at thefront folded edge of the strip it is easier to clip the individual tabsapart, because it is easier to clip one portion than two portions whichare separated from each other as in the opposite legs of the tabs,especially with tabs having angularly projecting legs as illustrated inFig.4. It is hard to clip the last-mentioned tabs ap t if the -ttachmentportions 2 2 are medially disposed in the strip between the attachmentlegsof the tabs. Clipping the tabs apart gives smoother, more uniformand better appearing edges than twisting the tabs apart.

lVith the cuts 1 1 between the individual tabs of a strip, providing thesmall attach ments 2 2 between the tabs, the tabs of a set or series arekept in their proper order, thus eliminating the objectionable featureof having to sort them out where they are cut clear it is necessary tocut the individual apart from each other as above stated. My improvedtabs may, however, be readily and quickly separated from each other foruse,

preferably by clipping the small attach strip as in'the tabs abovementioned, which cutting cannot be done by hand so that the severed tabshave a uniform width and appearance.

In all of the tabs illustrated, each tab comprises. an. outside portion3, which may be of leather, celluloid, paper, canvas, cloth, etc, andthe innerportion. or tiller 4 for stiffening the front portion of thetab, the outside portion 3 being folded over around the inside portion1, preferably as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and being suitably glued orcemented thereto so that the portions 2, 4i, 3 constitute a solid bodyportion. The filler 1ispreferably cemented in placein the long foldedportion 3 in the form of a long strip, before. the cuts 1 1 betweentheindividual tabs are made. The filler 4; may be of paper, canvas,leather, cloth, or any other suitable material, and 1 preferably makethe filler 1 the same color as the outside: portion 3: of the t: bs, soas to present a better appearance along-the top and bottom edges of thetabs.

The inner surfaces of the. attachable legs 6 6 of the tabs, back of thefiller strip 4, are preferably gummed, so that they may be moistened andglued to their proper sheets very readily. In moistening the surfaces 55 of the tabs, the legs 6 6. thereoi may bespread apart as shown'in Fig.5 and pressed, orrubbedagainst any suitable moist sponge or otherobject.

The attachment portions 2 2 between the individual tabs of a striparepreferably locatedas shown in the drawings, so that each attachmentcomprises part of the folded portion 3 and filler 4:. l

Each of the individual tabs shown in Fig. 4t is constructed as shown inFig. 6, that is, with one of the attachable legs 6 extending upwardlyfrom the body portion of tlie'tab and the other attachable leg 6'extending downwardly from the body portion ofthe tab, preferably asshown. This construction is provided so as to reinforce the sheetto'which; the tab is attached for use, adjacent to the tab, andthusprevcnt the sheet from tearing in case the tab is twisted or roughlyThis conof the sheets and tabs. I wish it to be understood that I mayvary the shape of thelegs 6 6 oftlietab. of Fig. 6 as desired.

In certaimformsof my tabs 1 may do away with the filler 4 and glue theportions 3 3101 the fold directly to 'each' other, thus providing-astiff solid portion for the front portion of the tabs. V

The characters on a set of tabs may be the. letters of the. alphabet,the numerals,

the daysof the month, abbreviations for the months, abbreviations forStates, names of individuals, companies,- etc., or, in'fact', anythingdesired. V r

I do not wish to limit'this invention to all of the particular detailsherein set fortlnas various modifications thereof may be made orutilizedwithout departing from the scope of the appended claims Thebroad ldea of connecting the individual tabs of a strlpnby smallscverable attachments, is claimed in United States Reissue oPatent No. 11,550, on index tabs, reissued Nov. 19, 1918. p I. hat I: claim as myinventlon is 1. A seriesof index tabs arranged in'the form of a. stripaccording toa predetermined zontal body portion composed of a foldedportion, andattaehment legs for each of the tabsprojecting.angularlyfrom the rear end of the horizontal body portion, one upwardly and onedownwardly whenth'e tab is attached to a vertically-disposed sheet, theconsecutive tabs of the stripbeing connected together only by narrowseverable attach: ments at theextreme frontedge of the strip holding thetabs in their predetermined arrangement'in the strip but'permitting ofthem being readily detached-from each other foruse. v I

2. A set of index tabs of the character set forth comprising a series oftabs normally in a strip and provided with different characters thereonarranged consecutively according to a predetermined arrangement, thesaid strip comprising a folded portion having a front portion for thecharacters and a rear portion for providing attachment legs for theindividual tabs, the said tabs being cut entirely apart through the-saidrear portion and through the said front portion to within a shortdistance from the front edge of the strip whereby narrow severableattachments between the individual tabs are provided at the'front edgeonly of the strip, the said attachmentsv holding the said tabs in theirpredetermined arrangementin the strip but permitting of them beingreadily detached from each other for use.

Asinventor of the foregoing I hereunto subscribe my name atCl1icago,Illinois, this 28thday of June 1917.

j I GEORGE J. 'AIGNER. lVitn'esses LAWRENCE HIRT,

ETTA Amman.

arrangement, each of the tabs having a hori- I

